


Persona Blue

by Rayify



Category: Persona 3, Persona 4, Persona Series, Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-07
Updated: 2017-05-21
Packaged: 2018-05-05 10:45:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5372468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rayify/pseuds/Rayify
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A child; a creature; a crisis: A tale as old as time. Minato Arisato, according to legend, has been chosen by the creatures to carry out a destiny that can pull back the throes of darkness plaguing the land: The Lost. The Iwatodai Region calls out for a saviour, but can he and his creatures build the strength and skill to overturn its bleak fate?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Beginnings in Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Partially inspired by Cutlerine's Pokemon Snakewood ROM hack. Go and play it!

It was in the fire—no, the ashes—that his journey began.

In his body was a lack of sensation. Every time he tried flexing his fingers and his toes, he wondered whether he really had them. “Where am I?” he tried to speak. Only after what seemed an eternity floating in the mire of oblivion did prickles shoot from his nerves, attempting to resuscitate his limbs. He finally felt… warmth, he thought. There wasn’t much of an idea as to what it was or where it came from, as keeping his eyes open equalled the struggle of lifting lead.

“Are you alright?” It was a sort of kindly, weathered voice. Yes, he could somehow make out something.

He managed, “Not at all”, for a throbbing headache jammed itself into his skull, forcing growls and groans out of him as he endured. “I can’t remember what happened to me…” Dark details. A suit. Wide, bloodshot marbles bulging from his visage. An exceptional nose. Gleaming rows of teeth in a grin. “I just… remember… creatures.”

The silhouette of the man gestured for him to continue. “Yes, indeed… Can you remember any more, Minato?”

Yes, that was his name. Minato. Minato Arisato.

“Mythical creatures… Demons. They chose the user. And… we could control them,” Minato murmured as the agony in his nerves died away. “I was going to become the master of them.”

He let out a chuckle. “Correct. Do you remember me?” Finding no response, he continued, “My name is Igor, but everyone just calls me the Professor.”

Did he know him personally, or from somewhere else? “Almost familiar…” Was his name on a TV show? Slices of recollection flashed into his mind’s eye. “Do creatures… die?”

“I’m afraid that is not the case. These creatures just lose their will to battle and go back to their own world to recover. They return shortly after they’ve recovered,” Professor Igor explained. “You lived in Dawnset Town, and…” Minato began not hearing anything as fatigue and pain overtook his senses. Eventually, all he saw was black.

When he woke up once more, now able to prop himself up to sit, he observed the mountains of devastation around him. Flickering flames and rubble were tossed about the disastrous upheaval of wrecked houses. Smoke rolled, climbed and danced away on the wind. Surely, this scene would disparage anyone with grievous thoughts. “What happened?” Minato murmured.

He caught sight of a house’s remains with the plaque ‘Arisato Residence’ strewn near shattered fences and gates. The rest was obliteration. Debris could only tell a fractured tale of what inhabited it in the past—or if there was anything there before its destruction. He had a family, yes? What happened to them and who would cause such destruction to a small town like his? Was a _person_ really responsible for this, or was it a rampaging creature?

Minato was at the foot of the town’s exit, seeming to be aiming for the next—wherever it was, whatever it was called—but had been interrupted somehow. There was a faint recollection quickly slipping from his grasp until the boil of excitement from the thought surfaced: He was going to obtain his first creature, train it, and go on a journey as most teens his age did to try becoming the creature master of his region. He was seventeen, was he not?

“Help!” His train of thought skidded to a stop as he heard the shout from the nearby forest. The source, he snapped his head towards. An old man. In fact, he very much looked like the old man from before.

If it was him… Professor Igor didn’t realise that he was backing away towards the tree behind him. What from? Something. Or someone? It rushed at him in a rasping frenzy.

A deranged creature of some sort. It didn’t have the same ethereal quality that creatures did, and looked eerily human, if not for the black holes in its face, pallidly squirming skin, the juxtaposed jerks and lolling of his limbs and the darkened blood oozing out of bite marks peppering its leathery hide. Before Minato could further ruminate the creature’s origin and humanoid form, Igor—Professor Igor called “Help!” once more.

Although he didn’t know the Professor well, he might’ve known something about the current situation. The two of them were likely the only immediate, mutual sources of assistance.

Thankfully, the Professor wasn’t too far a distance away for Minato to run. He rushed through the tall grass and squeezed past shrubbery. “Back off.” With a branch he’d snapped off along the way, he swung it at the walking corpse, hoping to create some distance between the two.

It reared its head at an unnatural angle towards Minato, twisting its delicately straining flesh. It was complete with its smiling mouth—an inescapable trap once inside—and the drool sticking foam and sour breath from its lips.

Still, Minato only frowned, determined to keep it well away from them.

With the opportunity Minato had just granted him—he was surprised that Minato wasn’t panicking more at the sight of the grotesque abomination—Igor fumbled to scrabble through his belongings. Minato narrowed his gaze, batting the monster with his branch a second time. On the third, the monster stumbled back, its gaping maw now well away from Minato’s person. “Use this!”

Into his hands was thrust a card, glowing with the colour of hopeful sky. Somehow, he could recognise it.

It was called a Medium; literally, the medium through which creatures could travel from an alternate dimension into theirs. While blank, there was only a picture of a black and white mask on the other side. He copied the motions of what slivers of memory film played in his mind, making a circular motion with the card. Wisps from the Medium dazzled with light, and from the black void created between the lines, a shining sphere shot out.

A metallic creature burst from the medium, spinning gently before settling just behind Minato. “So that’s Orpheus, the musician,” Igor mused aloud, staring up curiously and excitedly at the newly formed creature. A Steel and Psychic type that specialised in special, sound-based offense.

He lingered idly for a moment before being stirred into action by Minato’s invocation: “Destroy that monster.” However much adrenaline was pumping through his veins, and however euphoric the moment was of his first creature summon, he always kept calm. Upon such a command, Orpheus let loose a tune in crescendo using Round. The rising sounds leapt from obstacle to obstacle, finally blasting the monster away from the area.

Following this, his fist began glowing and raced into the zombie’s head, shattering viscera across the ground with a splatter, and sullen thud. In its futile death throes, the monster’s movements faded into nothing more but twitches and then… dust. Its whole body crumbled away, leaving the tattered remains of its clothing crumpled amongst the residue.

Igor breathed a sigh of relief. “You’ve done well, even though you’ve only just woken up,” he noted.

His attention was focused on the form of the creature’s body; sleek and cool. It definitely seemed to have potential. He didn’t make an effort to acknowledge Igor’s praise. “You’re the Professor, correct?”

He nodded in approval, although his expression turned stony. “Yes… However, this isn’t the place to talk. I would not like to be attacked again by them if I can help it. I’d advise you to follow me,” Igor said, turning in the opposite direction of the ravaged town of Dawnset.

Hours passed as they managed their ways through the grass and bleak forest. Remnants of civilisation appeared on the horizon behind prisons of yellow caution tape, and barricades of concrete, metal and cinderblock. From one of the high points of the makeshift fort, a voice shouted down—a hoarse and weary exchange between it and Professor Igor.

As Minato recalled—and Igor added on—the monsters known as Creatures were said to have existed since the entity known as the ‘Collective Consciousness’ had begun its stabilisation. From these turbulent beginnings, Creatures were born in the theorised dimension—the Distortion World—and were supposedly connected to humans as they were able to freely roam the two realms and often came into contact with each other.

“I apologise for the rough introduction, but welcome to Suncrest Town,” Professor Igor spoke as he trudged onwards through the small opening, once denying them entry with sandbags and wire fencing. Apparently Minato looked human and non-violent enough to pass.

Most were wild; that is, they did not often come under the control of humans. Generations gone past, however, created the arcane means by which they could begin to tame them—the Medium, now manufactured and distributed all over the world by the Nanjo-Kirijo Conglomerate. They opened an easy-access portal with unique properties through which Creatures could be summoned.

The promising sky, painted in evening colours, contrasted with the fearful spirits of the people as they flitted hurriedly into their homes. Few Creatures were ever spoken of as highly violent so as to cause widespread panic.

In fact, taming these Creatures used to only be a form of self-defence from such rogue creatures. Nowadays, it was more of a form of entertainment, and or a status symbol. “They’re afraid of what we saw before?” Minato spoke aloud.

Igor nodded solemnly. “It has made it difficult for anyone to leave or go about their business safely.” His gaze became downcast. “Many fear that by the time help can even be distributed to such a far off town such as this, that we may run out of supplies. Following this, they may have to leave for greener pastures.”

But what lay beyond their necessary gaol cell?

After all, Creatures very rarely defended people of their own will, even when told to. Minato’s first experience was an exception—humans often spoke that those chosen by their creatures, who listened to their master, were wielders of great destinies.

Or so the story went.

The building the Professor was heading towards was unlike the more utilitarian, pale-bricked houses that dotted the residential area. It stood out, quite literally, for it reached almost three storeys high. “This is my laboratory.” The towering dwelling rose mischievously—a strange hybrid of clinical professionalism, lightly touched by the arcane whims of witchcraft. Compartments that were obviously not part of the original blueprints stuck out from the roof and sides of the lab. None of them were machinery that Minato recognised. “Shall we? I will explain to you inside.”

Minato’s first sight was of a cluttered interior, contraptions of unknown function strewn about the bench tops. Cupboards and cabinets lined the walls. He could see each were stuffed with research notes and apparel from the way some bits just jutted or folded outwards. Machines of the mad scientist type were accompanied by monitors that showed the conditions of each, even the ones that were previously shown to be added to the building outside. To complete the look, the room was cast with cool white, clinical lights from above, only accentuating the already white walls.

 “Ah, I’m glad to see that you’re back safe and sound, Professor.”

Minato immediately turned towards the woman’s voice. “This is Elizabeth. If you remember, she helps me in my creature research.” Igor gestured to a calculating woman whose golden eyes looked upon him with amusement through her glasses. “Elizabeth, this is Minato. You remember him, don’t you?”

It was a one-sided moment of recognition. “Yes, I do. I’m pleased to meet you again in this lieu.” She smiled and bowed. “I mainly assist the Professor in a practical sense. Unfortunately with his old creaky knees he cannot get too far without his joints acting rather comically,” Elizabeth said casually, earning her a scowl from Igor. She ignored it.

“They haven’t acted up once this whole trip, Elizabeth,” he scolded.

“What about your back?”

Igor groaned. He couldn’t say the same for that. “Put it another way, Elizabeth captures specimens of creatures for me to study. As a result, she is extremely skilled in the use of creatures.” Minato didn’t exactly peg that, with her seemingly eccentric personality. “In any case, I believe it is time for us to explain what has happened.”

“Not too long ago, in fact, perhaps just a few days before I found you at Dawnset, the Iwatodai Region has been blighted by those strange monsters that you fought off with Orpheus,” Igor began. “Zombie-like in nature, they are most accurately referred to as the Lost.”

“Why the ‘Lost’?”

“You see… I will have to say that I’ve had to fight off these ghastly creatures on my own as well. Their brains are very much intact, but some sort of mysterious force has… Hm… Yes, infiltrated their minds, leaving them in their very much mindless state,” Elizabeth tried to explain. “Well, next time you may have to fight one of the Lost, you may observe that their brains have a grey discolouration to them, which contributes to the theory that their minds have been infected or eaten in some fashion by this mysterious force. Thus, they have quite literally ‘lost’ their mental faculties.”

Igor closed his eyes. “As curious as I am to the nature of the Lost, no-one would possibly let one in here for research. You saw that they disintegrated into dust when they were killed, so our only possible chance of examining one would be a live specimen. Undoubtedly, that would just cause widespread panic which I’m not prepared to mediate.”

Minato nodded.

The Professor chuckled. “Well, since it is disrupting my regular research and the lives of many others afflicted by this same plight across the region, it would probably be better if it was stopped anyways.” He opened one of his eyes to look for Minato’s reaction. Stoic and blank as ever. He was always like that, wasn’t he? “Not that I would send you off into the wilderness to try and stop this. It is quite dangerous out there and things have become rather lawless.”

“I suppose so.” Minato then shrugged. “But I don’t know if I’d be able to regain my memories just by staying here and having Orpheus in my possession would be a waste.”

“As irresponsible on my part as it may be to add this information, this probably would be the best time to set out on one of those journeys that every teen seems to want to venture on,” Elizabeth said with a smile. “An adventure, fraught with danger and with many more creatures out and about… Doesn’t that sound like a treat?”

Minato pondered it. It would certainly be much less of a regular journey and as Igor had noted before, it had become ‘lawless’; probably literally, because the police couldn’t really deal with this situation well. Maybe he was just having trouble putting the risks in perspective, but if no-one was willing to go out and find a way to stop this crisis, then who would be?

“I guess so.”

Igor chuckled at that. “Perhaps.” As he wandered over to one of the many machines in his laboratory, he said, “Well, whatever course of action you wish to take, being that you’ve considered the risks, deficits and benefits, you may keep Orpheus. It’s not every day that someone is chosen by a creature, after all. It had only been captured by Elizabeth some time before this. I wasn’t going to research him.”

His eyes widened. “Oh. Well, thank you.” Minato had thought all the while since the possibility of him venturing from Suncrest had been brought to light. It seemed that he would move nowhere and do nothing if he just stayed. An opportunity like this would probably only come once in his lifetime—the champion of the Iwatodai Region and the Elite Four could do something about this mess, right? What reason had he to go then?

“This is also a great incentive to look for your friends and family. It seems that the Professor’s words have alluded to you having some form of amnesia, which was why he had to introduce you to me once again,” Elizabeth pointed out. “The longer you leave it, the more your chances of finding them dwindle.”

As calm as he was, he couldn’t exactly deny the hope that his family and friends were alright. “Orpheus is mine now… and the reasons you’ve pointed out to me are quite tempting,” Minato spoke, picking Orpheus’ medium from his pocket. “So…”

Elizabeth tilted her head in wonder. “I think I will give this a try.

“You two aren’t going to stop me from going on a ‘teen’s dream’ now and if I did somehow manage to do something about the Lost while I’m going on this journey, then it would be an ideal situation for everyone involved,” he thought aloud.

“Indeed, it would be extremely productive,” she agreed.

He closed his eyes, seemingly conceding the next fact: “If it becomes too much for me, I just have to come back.”

“Your reasoning is sound, and music to my ears,” Igor said, smiling wider at his pun. “Elizabeth, could you give him one of the devices?” She nodded enthusiastically and headed upstairs. As Minato wondered what Igor meant by the ‘device’, he added, “It is getting quite late today and it would be impractical to send you off in the middle of the night. Feel free to make yourself comfortable here for as long as you need before you set off.”

“I’d appreciate that,” he replied, seeing Elizabeth from the corner of his eye.

She was carrying a phone of some sort. A touchscreen one. How modern.

He nodded. “In these times, you must exercise caution. People have had their lives taken or ruined because of these beasts.” He didn’t hide the displeased tone in his voice. “It is likely you will find other trainers along the way. They will probably try to steal from you for their own benefit. They may even leave you in their own interests, if ever there was trouble and trick you. So… be prepared. It is times like these when people devolve to animals and rely on their base instincts.”

Minato thought about it prior. There was nothing he could do but push on despite the negative feelings festering in his chest and stomach. It wasn’t just the Lost or the creatures—they were desperate people. He couldn’t fault them, but he didn’t want those things to happen to him either.

“Here you are, Professor,” Elizabeth announced with a sing-song voice, handing it over to Minato.

He gave a short “Thank you,” before turning back towards Igor.

It was a like he’d observed earlier, a phone of some sort, with a plain, white and silver frame. “That is a Digital Compendium. We call it a COMP for short,” he explained. “By pointing this device’s camera upon a creature, you can find out its creature name, specie, type, and any important information about it. It can also be used to observe a creature’s growth in numbers and in move data.”

“You’re giving it to me?” he asked.

“Indeed. It should prove useful to you on your journey. Be warned however, that it is not complete. There is only so much information we can obtain on one creature from any given area,” Igor said. “You can make it a side job to obtain new creatures and study them. It may sound tedious, but knowing about your ally can make you armed against enemies too,” he said with a chuckle, handing the COMP to Minato.

Having already expressed his gratitude for the device, he turned it on and looked at the applications on the menu. There were also options for calling and texting, so it seemed to double as a phone. Radio and maps were also included.

“Well then… You should get some rest. There should be some spare room upstairs and some food too. Prepare well,” Igor said before beginning to stumble off towards the maze of machines.

Elizabeth smiled, beckoning Minato towards the stairs. “I will give you further supplies when you feel that you’ve prepared enough. For now, let us find what sustenance is available in the cornucopia of taste—the wonderful fridge!”

That was a plan he could get behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, basically it's a darker Pokemon game where the Personas and demons from Persona and SMT are the Pokemon, and the zombies are the Lost from P3.  
> Enjoy it? Expect more shenanigans! Here are Orpheus' statistics.
> 
> Creature: Orpheus  
> Level: 5 --> 6  
> Specie: Musician  
> Type: Steel/Psychic  
> Ability: Light Metal
> 
> Current Moves: Metal Sound, Confusion, Round, Bullet Punch,


	2. Shocker Breaker

How could he not?

“Here, take some freebies,” Elizabeth said with a smile. She handed him a deck of medium cards, all stowed away in a holder which could be clipped to his belt. “To get you started.”

Minato took them gingerly, finding a good place to put it. “Thank you,” he replied.

“You’re very welcome!” She then explained, “Remember, that even if a medium won’t capture a creature the first time, you can use it again as long as it doesn’t have a creature occupying it. Of course, you would have to get the leftover medium back for yourself.

“The next time we meet, I hope you will be ready for a battle. I’m sure it would be an interesting bout,” she said sweetly.

He wasn’t eager to be beaten so early on. She sounded much more skilled than Igor might’ve cared to let on. “I’ll look forward to it.”

“Likewise! Now… farewell, and good luck,” Elizabeth said, skipping back to upstairs.

Minato chuckled to himself before leaving the lab and starting to head out of the town. What an odd girl.

The next days were spent gathering supplies for him to carry, like water, rations and the like. Whatever money he could scrounge up was also taken, and he’d also been given a hand charger for the COMP (speaking of the COMP, he’d also learned that it had a very useful map function that showed the rest of the Iwatodai Region on it).

Arclight, the following town, was a further distance away than Suncrest was to Dawnset, which meant it would probably take a day or two of travel to get there. That wasn’t even taking into account the fact that Minato hadn’t really exercised _that_ much prior to his journey starting. Not besides the regular swimming he used to do on the weekends. He didn’t even remember that it was something that he did.

He knew that the supplies he had probably wouldn’t last for too long—maybe more than a week if he learned how to ration meals and such—but it was the best he could get from a barely surviving town and barely no money on him.

Minato set off wading through the tall grass, taking periodic breaks as he climbed the hills to the next town. The road was riddled with dark and redder blood smeared amongst the trees and ground, along with occasional Lost feasting on corpse.

He was surprised by his apparent stomach, as the sight of the beasts still as vomit-inducing as they were the first time he encountered one of them. They were after all, eating the flesh of what used to be real people that might’ve had something good planned for the weekend and were about to spend it having fun or something like that. Instead, they spent their last few minutes in abject horror and agony, having bits of their bodies chewed up for food.

All the while as he walked, he felt as if there was something or someone watching him, or at least, was on the same path as him. Minato had heard signs of scuffles and fights in the distance, but was never eager to participate in it.

By mid-afternoon the next day, he hit the entrance to the next town. There was a sign, pointing the way, and the path there was straightforward. There was little chance to get lost.

And it was deserted. Arclight was named so because similarly to Suncrest, when the sun’s rays came from behind the hill that the town rested on, an arc of light was formed. Rather straightforward name.

Like Dawnset, most of the houses there were piles of rubble, and if they weren’t, they barely stood. The air was stale with the stench of old blood, and bodies were awkwardly shuffled to the side, half-eaten or mangled beyond recognition. The only intact structure was the gym, but Minato doubted that it was left unscathed, judging from the devastated state of the town.

In fact, he did try the doors. He could barely get the normally sliding doors open and when he finally did, the smell that assaulted his nostrils was so intensely thick with rot and decay was enough to make him unable to go inside. The inside was dark and somehow, he doubted that it was part of a puzzle or something like that.

“I guess I can’t get a card from here,” he noted aloud. Although, seeing as it was a Fire type gym, he probably couldn’t get past with just Orpheus anyways. It was important, since the cards that you won from a gym were to be used as proof to get to the area where the Elite Four resided—The Vortex Labyrinth and Amala Plateau.

“It is a bit of a shame, isn’t it?”

He turned around to face the direction of the voice. “Yeah. Who are you again?” Minato tilted his head.

“Yu. Yu Narukami.” He tapped his foot, scrutinising Minato. Yu looked about the same age, with grey hair in a bowl cut and eyes of the same colour. His white polo shirt and black turtleneck jacket was in contrast to Minato’s raglan shirt and blue coat. They both wore jeans, although Yu opted for dark grey and Minato for light blue. Well, their shoes were about the same; white runners.

Minato turned around in the direction of the voice. “Who are you?” he asked.

“Minato Arisato,” he introduced. “You’re here for the same reason as me?”

“Yeah. I came from a slightly different direction, however,” he answered. “We can’t challenge the gym anyways though, so whatever. Want to battle? That’s what trainers usually do when they meet, right?”

“Sure. I’m new to this, however,” Minato admitted.

Yu shrugged. “I don’t mind. I’m kinda new to it too.”

“That’s fine.” Minato grabbed the medium that contained Orpheus, with Yu doing the same for his creature. They appeared at the same time, staring each other down.

The creature Yu summoned was a humanoid in a black coat, with a black mask for armour on its head. His yellow eyes shone determinedly through. The weapon it wielded definitely caught Minato’s attention—it appeared to be a naginata of some sort.

“Izanagi, Karate Chop.”

Without hesitation, the named creature charged towards Orpheus, aiming to strike him down with the blunt side of his weapon.

Good thing that Minato had looked at his creature’s skills. “Orpheus, use Round,” Minato commanded.

He barely dodged the brunt of the attack, getting caught on his shoulder instead. Orpheus, fortunately, was far from hindered. A blast of sound waves emitted from his speakers, knocking him away and to the side.

Yu thought for a moment before saying, “Thundershock.” Izanagi took some time to recover from the disorienting sounds and spun his naginata, channelling bolts of electricity from his body towards Orpheus.

Because of the electricity’s quickness and since Minato hadn’t anticipated an attack like Thundershock, he couldn’t command Orpheus to move out of the way. Watching a fight on TV was different to doing it yourself—that much, Minato understood.

On the other hand, “What’s wrong? Caught off guard?” Yu asked with a chuckle. “Keep going with Karate Chop, Izanagi,” he commanded calmly.

Karate Chop was a fighting type move, wasn’t it? With that in mind, Minato said, “Orpheus, use Metal Sound to stop Izanagi, then use Confusion.”

He acted to move from the attack but was still clipped on his opposite shoulder. Nevertheless, Orpheus started emitting the scratching sounds of metal and grinding from his amplifier. It was enough to make Izanagi pause his assault as the harsh sound rang in in everyone’s ears.

And yes, what Minato had encountered was possibly the worst joke maker in the world. He gritted his teeth, finally getting a list of Orpheus’ abilities. “Orpheus! Dodge and Metal Sound!”

Orpheus responded as quickly as possible, which involved him getting clipped on his arm. The sound of metal scratching and grinding together screeched from his speakers, distracting Izanagi as the harsh sound rang in his ears.

“Get it together! Use Thundershock again!” Yu yelled. Izanagi sent another shock of lightning at Orpheus, managing to grab even a small hold of his foot. The electricity did the rest, travelling and burning Orpheus’ body.

“…Orpheus, use Bullet Punch.” Minato had figured by this point that Izanagi was probably an electric and fighting type from the moves that it used. Steel types had little effect on electric types, so why? Responding to Minato’s will, Orpheus charged past Izanagi after recovering, slamming his fist into a Lost’s head—one just behind Yu.

Yu turned to face whatever adversary was there previously, seeing the Lost about to attack him now splattered across the ground. Icky, but safe. “Oh. Izanagi, use Thundershock.” On command, shots of lightning blasted towards the incoming horde of zombies, burning them beyond wholeness. By that, some of them were knocked unconscious onto the ground while others just had their limbs burned off. “Then, Karate Chop.”

As Izanagi moved, Orpheus charged into the fray like a blur, smashing the heads of the downed Lost into bits of blood and muck. “Then Round on the surrounding ones.”

Heads battered, rolled and were bashed into submission with one fell swipe of Izanagi’s weapon. Lastly, Lost were blown apart by Orpheus’ Round attack, blasting them away into obstacles with such force that they couldn’t move even if their brains weren’t quite out.

“Thanks. But we’re not quite done,” Yu noted as the combatants returned. “Thunder Wave, Izanagi.”

A weaker jolt of electricity ran through Orpheus’ body, making it difficult for him to move. Paralysis, huh? Minato furrowed his brow. Confusion didn’t really need movement, did it? “Orpheus, Confusion.”

His eyes glowed red with power and a mysterious force grabbed Izanagi by the neck, slamming him into the ground for super-effective damage. Yu clapped a little as he removed his medium from his pocket. Izanagi tried struggling to his feet, gripping his naginata for support. “I guess I can’t beat you yet; not with that type advantage you have,” he thought aloud. “Even with the paralysis.”

“Well, yeah. I think both of us need more creatures on our side,” Minato agreed. “I couldn’t really go and challenge the gym anyways since Orpheus is a steel type.” He held out his medium, letting Orpheus return to the world within it to recover.

Yu nodded and did the same for Izanagi. “Next time, I’ll beat you, you hear me?” Despite his calm tone, he had a smirk spread across his face.

“I’ll be looking forward to the rematch.”

With that, Yu began walking through Arclight, aiming to find a safe place to camp out. “Mm. I don’t know about you, but I’m not going to be travelling much today. I’m not risking going out where I could be attacked at night.”

That was a good point. Minato did want to get going, but it never hurt to be careful. Besides, he felt like he had a bit of a new friend in Yu, although they had just met. Somehow, he had to doubt that he would do something like steal from him when they had the same goal. “Let me help. I’m probably gonna be staying here awhile too.”

He turned back towards Minato with a chuckle. “Alright. I guess there’s a bit of safety in numbers, seeing how strong you seem to be at battling. And that was…”

“That was my first trainer battle.”

Yu’s eyes widened. “Well. Good job. Hope you had a little fun with it then.” He gave Minato a thumbs-up.

Minato couldn’t really read Yu’s expression as it had turned blank, similar to when he first challenged him. “You’re not mad, are you?”

“Not really. I was just thinking…” He kept on walking, trying to find his way through the broken town for some place safe to stay. “I feel like other people who have creatures might not think of it as something fun, you know? I started now despite the danger because I thought there would be some kind of fun or thrill to it.”

He seemed to understand. Some people would, perhaps rightfully so, prioritise their survival more than the primary reason why anyone went on a journey in the past. “I understand.”

“Yeah. Don’t take my word for it though.” Yu smiled slightly.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Creature: Orpheus  
> Level: 6 to 7
> 
> Creature: Izanagi  
> Level: 6  
> Specie: Forefather  
> Type: Electric/Fighting  
> Ability: Lightning Rod
> 
> Current Moves: Scratch, Thunder Wave, Thundershock, Karate Chop


	3. Missing Half

Before the two of them left Arclight, they exchanged their COMP numbers so they could contact each other later on down the road. Yu had left earlier than Minato, who had decided to scour the town for any scraps that he might’ve wanted to take along.

He did find some food, medical supplies and a switchblade knife, so it wasn’t a waste.

Minato needed all the help he could get; the next town was probably at least two days away.

The walk for then would’ve been nice… If not for the zombie corpses littered about the flowers and greenery. There were some walking around; in fact, there were much more than before.

He passed through unnoticed. If he wanted another opportunity for Orpheus to learn some new moves and grow stronger, Minato would’ve wanted to do that when he could find some civilisation or at least some other structure to hide in.

With a sigh, he felt the air grow cooler and more stagnant. There was less wind and more clammy feeling hanging in the background.

He’d reached a large, thick forest. It was rather intimidating with how dark it looked already, but it would also be a good place to try and find a new creature, if he was lucky. The trees towered over him and hid shadows which hid things unknown. The familiar smell of blood tinged his senses, but still, he pushed on. Was he getting too used to it?

Thankfully, his preconceptions were wrong; it wasn’t as dark as he thought it would be. Sunlight still filtered through the leaves of the trees enough for him to be able to see where he was going. There was a little bit of a path which he could walk through, seemingly recently made.

Maybe it was Yu or someone else?

As he thought, he saw a group of Lost—only four or five, but any one was dangerous. “Orpheus, use Confusion,” Minato commanded as he let his creature out from his medium. Thankfully, he’d been given enough to return to full strength before taking on his new challenge.

Like before, Orpheus’ eyes glowed red. “Grab one of them and use it to attack the others.” He didn’t really know why he didn’t think of it earlier, but it was effective. Confusion manifested around one of the zombies, which of course, tried struggling out of Orpheus’ psychic grip.

He did as Minato had asked and smashed the flailing Lost into another, bashing them to dust onto the ground. “Would you like a little bit of help?”

Another Lost was destroyed with a gust of pink energy, fired by a golden robot-like figure with flowing auburn hair. Minato couldn’t help but think that she looked similar to Orpheus, if not for the different colouration.

“Perhaps…” Minato murmured, looking around for the owner of that creature.

“There’s another one over here, Eurydice!” It was a girl’s voice. With silver, glowing claws formed around her hands, Eurydice spun ripped the skull of the second last Lost apart.

“Bullet Punch,” Minato called. Orpheus charged towards the last of them and smashed a Lost’s head into pieces, making it into dust.

“Awesome job, Eury!” The girl said, earning a smile from her creature before returning to her medium.

Minato said, “Come back,” letting the creature return as well. After putting it away he said, “Thank you for the help.” He could’ve done away with them himself, but it was always beneficial to have someone willing to help him.

She gave him a grin, stepping into a ray of sunlight so he could see her. “No problem.” She had auburn hair in a ponytail and russet eyes, a little like her own creature. She wore an orange sweater over a white collared long sleeve, and… Well, it seemed jeans were the go-to bottom attire. Hers were plaid, using the colours red, black and white. Shoes were combat boots. “I’m Hamuko. What’s your name?”

“I’m Minato,” he replied. There was something oddly familiar about her name…

“Awesome. Are you trying to get through the forest? There’s a town just on the other side which I heard wasn’t completely wrecked,” Hamuko said with a pleased smile. “I’ve been trying to make my way there.

 Minato agreed with a nod.

“Mind if I tag along? We might get through here faster if we team up… I mean, if you aren’t going to steal from me or something! I have a knife and I’m not afraid to use it!” Hamuko said, rather dramatically. “A-Anyways, what do you say?” she asked.

He thought it over for a moment. She did just help him and seeing as she seemed rather capable despite her overly cheerful demeanour, it probably couldn’t hurt. Minato had a few reservations since he was starting to get the feeling that he was being too trustful of strangers, however familiar she seemed. “Alright.”

Hamuko leaped with glee. “Awesome! Let’s get going and find somewhere we can camp out. This place is kinda big.”

Following her lead, Minato asked, “Okay. I’ve also been wondering if there are any creatures around here. Think you’ve seen any?” It was a little bit hard to keep up with her. He just wasn’t as energetic as her.

Hamuko thought. “Hm, maybe? I haven’t seen anything yet, but I’ve been thinking that since the forest feels a bit different, maybe they just haven’t shown up yet,” she replied. “I think I might’ve seen a pond so we can look there and get some water anyways.”

How convenient. “Alright. I need to do the same anyways, even if there isn’t anything there.”

“Are you saying that as if you don’t believe me?” Hamuko gasped, acting offended. She started in the direction she remembered the pond being.

“Sorry. I just started second guessing my trust issues,” he replied.

“Was the last person nice to you?” she asked with a smile.

He nodded. “Yeah. He challenged me to a battle, hid in the town and exchanged COMP numbers. Even gave me life advice.”

The two of them talked about what they’d been seeing and what had happened to them so far. “Well, I found Eurydice on the outskirts of town. She basically came over to me and started protecting me, even though I didn’t have a medium with me at all,” Hamuko admitted. “It was kinda strange… But I like her company, so all’s good!”

So she’d been chosen by her creature too. “That’s rare, but good job. Someone gave me mine, and Orpheus listened to me right away. You know how when they listen to you or are drawn to you, you’re destined for greatness? It’s just a legend though,” Minato explained. He hadn’t talked this much in a while.

“Hm… Well, I kinda feel like we were made for each other and we can look out for each other, if you know what I mean? Orpheus and you look a bit like that too,” Hamuko pointed out. Indeed, they shared some visual similarities, as far as the hair was concerned. Maybe. “It’s actually kinda funny! Because… Eurydice and Orpheus were supposed to be husband and wife.”

“I’m not going to get ahead myself though,” he replied.

Hamuko gasped. “You mean I’m not cute enough to marry?” Joking, of course.

“I didn’t say that. I just mean that I haven’t known you for long and I haven’t thought that far into the future, that’s all,” Minato said coolly.

She made a mock sigh of relief. “I you said that I wasn’t, I would’ve kicked your ass.” Minato blinked, stifling a chuckle. That wasn’t a reaction he was expecting… “So… family-wise, how are you doing?” Hamuko asked. It seemed her joking mode was off.

“I don’t know where they are. I hope they’re not dead or anything like that, but I’ll still try to be ready if they are. I’m looking for them…” Minato answered. “Even though my town was destroyed, I still have a bit of a feeling…”

Hamuko smiled slightly. “Well, I’m glad someone else has a little bit of hope. I’m looking for my family and my best friend, at least. I hope they’re okay.”

He nodded in agreement before noting, “I actually can’t remember what happened before I woke up… like the memories were knocked out of me.”

“That’s strange…” Hamuko furrowed her brow in thought. “I hope you remember soon. It might be easier to find them.”

The forest air seemed to clear near the pond. The weight of the atmosphere lightened, making it easier to breathe. It was illuminated by the sunlight and the small sparks of energy that floated above the water. It looked clean and the flowers around it seemed to be growing well. “This is it,” she pointed out.

“It has a kind of strange atmosphere about it.”

“I agree! I’m going to refill my bottle, so tell me if you see anything!” she said, heaving over to the water.

Minato nodded in response, walking around the banks of the pond. It wasn’t too big or too small, and the water flowed a little in a small stream. For a while, only the sounds of water filled the area.

Tinkle!

He turned towards the source of the sound, finding a fairy-like creature no bigger than the length of his forearm. Minato quietly removed his COMP to take a picture of the creature as it tended to the flowers. The data read:

Creature: Pixie  
Specie: Sprite  
Type: Fairy  
Ability: Regenerator

Info: Pixie is a mischievous spirit that likes playing tricks on travellers. When they aren’t, they tend to flowers and wildlife so they may flourish.

Minato figured it was a fairy type already, but now armed with the appropriate information, it looked like Orpheus could take it on without too much trouble. He knew about resistances and weaknesses of different types when they aired Creature Tournament on TV.

Unfortunately, there was no way that he could summon Orpheus without making a noise. He just had to bite the bullet. When he summoned his creature, the Pixie immediately began speeding away through the air as fast as its wings could carry it. “Bullet Punch.”

Orpheus blurred towards the Pixie, but she was able to dodge at the last second. It must’ve been because of its agility and small size. It was however, heading into Hamuko’s line of sight. She took a moment to summon her creature, not even needing words as Eurydice burst onto the scene and tried swiping at the Pixie with a Metal Claw.

It dodged, just barely!

She came away with Orpheus right on her tail. “Again.” Orpheus swung his fist and aimed for Pixie, but this time… it attacked.

Before that, the Pixie loosed a bright stream of electricity that hit both Orpheus and Eurydice. It was enough to stun them and give it a chance to fly away. He immediately noticed the distance that it was making. There had to be a way to hold it in place, right? “Confusion, and hold it in place.” Orpheus’ eyes hummed red and Pixie was trapped into a similar glow. “Hamuko, your turn.”

“My pleasure!” she grinned. Unable to move, Pixie was hit squarely with Eurydice’s claws. “Try getting it now!” Hamuko said as Pixie was grounded.

He nodded, ran forward and threw an empty medium at the downed Pixie. Blue light encapsulated her and drew her into the card. There was a chance that it could escape if it still had a lot of energy, but after being hit with a weakness, he doubted it.

Pixie was captured.

He let out a smile and picked up the medium. It might’ve just been a Pixie, but he had finally captured his very first creature for himself. “Thank you for helping. If we find another one, I can help you capture it, if you want.”

“It’s no biggie. Besides, I don’t really know if I want a Pixie. Its type doubles up with Eury.” Hamuko shrugged.

Ah, she’d thought about that, huh? “We’ll see what happens.”

“I’m afraid I can’t let you go so soon.”

Minato turned towards the voice. Orpheus was a bit weakened and they were getting into trouble straight away? Not the best situation to be in. He couldn’t count on Pixie following his directions anyways. She didn’t choose him and he was lucky with Orpheus. That didn’t even take into account that she probably didn’t have the energy to fight after Eurydice had weakened her.

She hadn’t resummoned Eurydice, but even then, Hamuko wasn’t feel too confident with that voice in the background. “Where is he…?” she murmured.

“Just stay and relax… You’ll have great company!” A man with white hair and a pale lean body stepped into the light with hordes Lost at his side. “Black Frost!” A flash of blue light formed a black, snowman-like figure with a purple bomber hat and shoes. His piercing red eyes and malicious grin could only spell danger.

“Well, just stay and relax… you’ll have great company!” A man with white hair and a pale, lean body stepped out with some zombies at his side. “Black Frost!” A flash of blue light appeared. The next moment, a black snowman with a purple bomber hat and piercing red eyes came with a grin on his face.

Minato immediately scanned the creature.

Creature: Black Frost  
Specie: Dark Jack  
Type: Ice/Dark  
Ability: Flash Fire 

Info: Black Frost is said to be a regular Jack Frost turned more demonic. He is mischievous, but has a larger palette of emotions than his fellow Frosts.

It seemed he was at a disadvantage too; Orpheus was weak against dark type attacks. “Dark Pulse,” the man commanded. Black Frost flipped and sent a spiralling beam of darkness towards Minato and Hamuko.

He barely had time to get out of the way of the attack. Now, more adrenalin was forced through his veins. Minato thought he’d get a chance to calm down after capturing Pixie and now they were being attacked by a trained creature. Still… “Bullet Punch!”

Perhaps responding to his desperation, Orpheus moved even faster than before, appearing only as a silver blur before planting his fist in Black Frost’s stomach. The dark snowman snarled and threw a tantrum with Fire Punches about to head square into Orpheus.

Minato’s split second thought came out his mouth as, “Bullet Punch again!” Orpheus felt just what he was intending, landing home into Black Frost’s face with an impromptu counter. Sure, he was still hit by the attack for super effective damage, but it was much weaker and nothing compared to the apparent added power of Bullet Punch.

It was a brash move that had great results. “Interesting…” Black Frost seethed as he recovered from the blow, glaring Orpheus down with promise of pain. “Frost Breath.”

Icy wind blasted from Black Frost’s mouth, hitting Orpheus close range for critical damage. The layers of ice that formed across his joints made him unable to move his arms and legs to great effect. Well. Minato chewed on his lip. “Return, Orpheus.” He couldn’t take another attack and just as well—Black Frost was about to follow up with a Fire Punch to finish Orpheus off.

“Your turn, Eury!” Wordlessly, Eurydice recreated the sound of trains squealing against the tracks as they came to a halt. It would lower Black Frost’s Defence so her next attack could hit harder.

Minato wasn’t sure how to act, especially since Orpheus was in no condition to fight. Pixie likely wouldn’t listen to him right off the bat either.

He scanned Pixie’s medium, seeing its current moves: Morning Sun, Thundershock, Draining Kiss and Misty Terrain. It was weak but that Morning Sun could get her back into shape temporarily.

“Black Frost, use Frost Breath again.” Black Frost unleashed frigid gusts at Eurydice even through the incessant sound she made.

Hamuko furrowed her brow with Eurydice getting the message. The Screech ceased and Eurydice spun away from the attack, releasing Fairy Wind attacks all the while. The pink blades slammed into Black Frost rapid fire, causing blue mist to leak from his body as the super effective attacked ruptured his skin.

The man seemed impressed at Hamuko and Eurydice. “Well then… Come along, Black Frost,” he beckoned. The creature rolled its eyes as he staggered away from the attack and dispelled into his medium. “I will meet you again, and it will be worse. I have more creatures than just Black Frost.”

Minato and Hamuko stiffened as they heard his warning. They hadn’t even beaten Black Frost.

As he walked off with the watching Lost, the man gave the two of them a wave. There were so many mysteries surrounding that strong trainer, but knowing that he had more up his sleeve wasn’t exactly reassuring.

Minato frowned for a moment before turning to Hamuko. “You managed to fight him without even calling out an attack or anything. How’d you do that?”

She folded her arms. “Well… when I think the attacks, Eurydice can kinda… sense what I’m feeling, and the way that she acts depends on what I think,” Hamuko replied. “Have you noticed that?”

“Not that I can name…”

Hamuko grinned. “Well. Maybe you should try being nice to your creatures! Eury seems to like me, so she responds really well to what I’m thinking that I don’t even have to say it aloud. You can get like that with Orpheus and your new creature, Pixie, you know?”

Minato nodded. That seemed logical, assuming that they had their own wills and desires. If that was the case… Could they talk themselves?

“There’s a lot of forest to go. Want to keep going together?” Hamuko asked.

“I think that’s for the best,” Minato replied. “Want to exchange COMP numbers just in case?”

She grinned. “Sure!”

They continued through the forest after that. It seemed that while he did have his first victory a while ago, it would only be one of many to come and one battle that didn’t result in defeat.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
> 
> Creature: Eurydice  
> Level: 7  
> Specie: Musician  
> Type: Steel/Fairy  
> Ability: Pixilate  
> Current Moves: Metal Claw, Screech, Fairy Wind, Echoed Voice,
> 
> Creature: Pixie  
> Level: 5  
> Current Moves: Draining Kiss, Thundershock, Morning Sun, Misty Terrain
> 
> Creature: Black Frost  
> Level: 41  
> Current Moves: Dark Pulse, Frost Breath, Fire Punch, Play Rough


	4. The Legend of Darkness

He rubbed his hands together, breathing moist air into the shell in front of his lips. Entangled branches of thick forest thinned out into spreads of skeletal scarecrows and gnomish shrubbery. Few moments dared interrupt the now setting sun’s poignant chiaroscuro. The trickle of the nearby stream filled in the silence between comments, conversation and conflict.

Although less in number, hostile Lost still pockmarked the vegetation as they fed upon their unlucky prey. For instance, a moaning carcass crawled over from Minato’s left, prompting a hasty summon. “Pixie, use Morning Sun, and then Thundershock it.”

She rolled her eyes at his command, but did as he told, for the most part. Bright light blasted from Pixie’s body, emanating sunlight heat and radiance. The half competent Lost screeched as it shot into its eyes, halting it momentarily.

Rubbing his eyes as well, Minato only barely remembered how damaging the move could be if stared directly at, despite its inoffensive nature. “Pixie?” he murmured. She huffed and forcibly returned to her medium without her final action. Pursing his lips as he observed the slow, agonised writhing of the once conscious, Minato unlatched Orpheus’s medium from his deck.

Then, splattering of dark blood. A cracked squelch scattered lung and shattered rib across the once pristine vegetation. He stared for a moment at Eurydice, whose hands had been sharpened to bright, fine points. The light faded as she withdrew her Metal Claw attack, throwing away the visceral fluids.

“Are you okay?” Hamuko asked before high-fiving her creature.

He hesitated, “Yeah,” wanting to say that he could’ve done it himself before conceding a solitary, “thanks.”

She beamed at him. “No problem! Let’s keep moving!”

Begrudgingly, he followed her decidedly outgoing change in pace.

All the while, Minato’s eyes darted from sky to woods, worrying as darkened evening crept in-between uninviting glances and the trees’ branching grips. They was still a way to go before the next town, named Thundersquall. It barely flickered with the glow of Pixie and High Pixie flitting upon ponds and fronds in fertile waltzes as they partied the night away.

The electric blue sprite whizzed by his COMP’s camera. As it perched near a bunch of bluebells and revitalised its damaged petals, he captured its unique qualities in lens and mind.

_Creature: High Pixie_   
_Specie: Sprite_   
_Type: Fairy/Electric_   
_Ability: Serene Grace_

_Info: With their greater power, High Pixies act as commanders and leaders for their kin. Despite their increased responsibilities, they are still quite mischievous, however._

Content to merely watch the ethereal scene unfold as green mist and glitter rekindled the life within the bruised bells, Minato sat down amongst the wheeling shrubbery. “Are we settling down here?” Hamuko’s voice wandered in seriousness and rapture: wanting to do as she, herself, had suggested; and watching the stuff of her parents’ fairy tales play live.

The pond sighed cool air into a nearby clearing. Minato reluctantly extracted his attention to put down his backpack there. “It’s as good a place as any,” he answered.

From behind Hamuko, Eurydice gently tugged her satchel away and placed it neatly next to Minato’s. “That’s so sweet of you,” she complimented her creature, “Thanks!”

Eurydice gave her a small smile as she sat cross-legged next to her small handiwork, waiting for her master to follow suit. “Do you think I should let Orpheus and Pixie out as well?” Minato finally asked. For the most part, Hamuko preferred not to keep her creature in her designated medium, and she followed closely behind her as they’d walked.

“I think so!” She picked her sleeping bag out and laid it on the ground, inviting Minato to do the same with a smile. “Don’t you think that they get a bit lonely just hanging out in the medium space?” Eurydice seemed to agree and leaned just into Hamuko’s arm, seeming content. “You’ve heard your creatures talk, haven’t you?”

Minato shook his head as he followed suit. While settling on the soft material, he summoned both Pixie and Orpheus. “I’ve never really had the need…”

“They can. Eury talks about all kinds of things,” Hamuko explained. “She often talks about her musical tastes and about how she wants to get better at knitting.” He watched as Eurydice and Orpheus gazed at each other, however silently. After a moment’s quiet, she pulled the once stoic Orpheus towards her and put his head on her lap, gently patting his hair down.

Orpheus looked towards Minato pleadingly. “And well… They might be under our control, but they can still do really human things like that.” Hamuko laughed as Minato attempted to pry his creature out of Eurydice’s grip. “It makes me want to be able to get to know them, I think.”

Successfully (somehow) away from Eurydice’s grip, Orpheus tried patting his hair back into order. “I see what you mean,” Minato conceded. “I never really thought about it like that.”

“Well, it might be why Pixie doesn’t really want to fight, you know?” Hamuko advised.

He looked towards the creature, who was planted on a leaf frond as she watched her kin fly free in their night time dances. “I guess so…” The pine scented allure of adventure, the sweet taste of success and the dappled light of friendship all settled in the dankest corner of a shadowy apocalypse. Now more aware of his creatures’ intelligence, Minato realised that he had to accommodate for his creatures’ needs, wants and feelings if he wanted to progress.

Hamuko reached over and ruffled his hair. “We’re all learning, I think. But all that aside, if you really do take what I’m saying on board, I think you’ll become a really great master.” He narrowed his eyes through the unsettled mop of his hair, earning a chuckle from her.

“Thanks, I guess.”

She crawled into the cocoon of her sleeping bag, curling up within it like a snug pupa. “But geez, it’s cold…” Hamuko sighed. “I guess we should try to get warm…” She held up Eurydice’s medium, gesturing for her to go back inside of it. After a moment, she nodded, seeming to express Hamuko’s sentiments about the night getting uncomfortably chilly, and entered it.

“Do you think we could get attacked by other Lost while we’re asleep?” Minato wondered aloud.

“Maybe,” she replied. “But if we have at least one creature out, they can alert us if there’s any trouble, I think.”

Minato nodded and spoke to Orpheus, “Would you mind keeping an eye out for any enemies?” He nodded solemnly in response and sat down near the edge of Minato’s sleeping bag.

A touch of mischievousness embraced Hamuko’s smile. “I bet Orphy will do fine,” she thought aloud as she grabbed some rations from her pack. “I wonder though… If there might be other creatures who might attack us? It’s a bit unlikely though…”

“Hostile creatures could be a problem,” Minato agreed, doing similarly. “But… Do you really think that it’s likely? What could attack us?”

She closed her eyes as she mused. “Hm… Have you ever heard of any legendary creatures?” He shook his head. “Well… I know one, at least. It was the most famous one.” Hamuko closed her eyes in nostalgia, imagining her mother’s voice. “I remember: it kinda scared me when I heard it at first…”

A long, long time ago, there was a creature with dominion over all; over creatures and over man. It was a terrifying, monstrous creature entrenched in black robes that flowed from behind, casting fear and sometimes, carnage in its wake. Its cape struck the feeling of death and beat into those that stared upon its ghastly form, this: The feeling of your mortality’s rot as it clawed at your shoulder. Its lifeless eyes seemed to gouge out one’s soul from their body, and the clattering of its beastly mask sounded like the hollow rattle of bone. Its sword gleamed hungrily in moonlight, bathed in dust, blood, and the stench of an executioner’s rusty axe.

It was said that the horror it wrenched into your mind was only equalled by its odd allure; a charm, so to speak. In the past, it walked freely amongst man without them ever knowing it was there. There was an ethereal glow to its unnatural eyes that drew crowds towards its person, where it would then strike its victims down, or impose delightful mercy upon the survivors. These survivors would be doomed to walk the earth following the beast’s footsteps, zombie-like, catering to any need it might’ve desired.

Power, in either of its forms, was not to be underestimated. Only a master with such understanding of its motivations and the skill to outsmart, and therefore, overpower the beast in battle, had a hope. Those thought strong enough, or foolish enough to challenge it have never lived to tell the tale to this day. Those that followed this creature would then be led down into its domain within the swirling chaos of what was called the Underworld, where they would be peacefully executed for their faithful, torturous subservience.

Since its conception, if it be known, the creature has been known by one dreaded name:

Thanatos.

“I hope that something like that doesn’t come. I can see why anyone would be scared of it.” Already, he felt a chill upset his body, hitting a dissonant beat in its processes.

Hamuko nodded in agreement, visibly curling up for more warmth, and perhaps a futile sense of security. “Mum used to tell me that her grandma told her that story so that she wouldn’t stay up late, especially when she wanted to stay out,” she agreed. “I think mum just told it to me for fun though. Ended up giving me nightmares for a few days.

“But… I’m not scared of it now,” she continued. “So I’m gonna get some sleep.”

Minato sighed. “Well, alright. Thanks for the not creepy ghost story.”

“You’re welcome!” With that, she closed her eyes.

As he finished his meal, he approached the still brooding Pixie. Leaves, branches, bushes and ponds were lit with a kaleidoscope of blurring colour and fairy light; a sight that was no doubt mesmerising. “What do you want?” Pixie gave an audible, longing sigh. “Can’t you see I’m busy?”

Silence permeated the tension filled air. “I guess you are,” he said shortly. “I need you to be honest with me though.” She shot him a glare, but it didn’t deter him. “You don’t want to be under my control.”

Pixie sighed once again; a methodical sigh that emulated her previous one. “I just… I never thought I’d be captured by a human. I’ve seen some other Pixie like me get captured… I thought I’d laugh it off because…” She growled. “Why am I telling you this?”

“I dunno. But you didn’t think it would happen to you, and you’re mad because it did, is what I’m getting?” Minato continued.

Crackling electricity was thrust towards his face, tendrils nipping from the tip of her finger. “Don’t try to psychoanalyse me bucko!” Pixie hissed. “I didn’t _ask_ for your help!”

Minato, although momentarily surprised, merely kept his gaze level. “No. The thing is… I don’t think I can set you free. But the very least I can do is try to understand your angle here,” he replied.

She rolled her eyes. “Well, at least you’re honest…” Pixie shook her head. What was she thinking?! “If you can’t set me free, I will do my best to make this a living hell until you do.”

“And make me use Orpheus to beat you again?”

Pixie was taken aback, and she shifted away from his flat stare. With a groan, she murmured, “I can’t believe this…” and gritted her teeth. “Fine. But you better make your use of me worth my while.”

“No promises.” Pixie narrowed her eyes at that, but put down her hand. “Anyways, would you mind keeping watch with Orpheus? I don’t mind if you want to hang out with any of the other Pixie, but remember that you can’t really just fly away easily.”

She gave a begrudging, contemptuous nod in response. Satisfied with at least that, Minato set himself in his sleeping bag and tried getting some sleep. Pixie flew over to join Orpheus, who was tuning his lyre quietly.

“How can you follow what that guy says?” Pixie grumbled upon his shoulder.

Orpheus inclined his head at his smaller companion’s words. “You are not pleased with Minato?” She rolled her eyes, giving the obvious ‘no’. “I… I have felt drawn towards him. A connection I cannot quite fathom, but I am compelled to strengthen. I believe he has potential to be a likeable master for all creatures…”

“Well, he is honest. I’ll give him that.”

He nodded. “Indeed… I believe he may also be a contributing factor to this crisis this region has been befallen by. That is, a factor towards its resolution,” Orpheus continued. “You have been troubled by the strange, zombie-like creatures even before your capture, no doubt?”

“Yeah. They’ve been messing up all the plants here!” She pounded her tiny fists against Orpheus’s metal body. “Queen Titania and King Oberon have been worried sick about it… But I can’t really do anything while I’m under his command. I mean, what is it that he wants to do? Go away from the forest into the outside world where I wouldn’t be able to help my kin?”

Orpheus chuckled. “Maybe you should ask him. He is quite reasonable.” At that, Pixie fell silent, obviously in thought.

So the night went on in flickering fairy light, and a soft lyre’s musings.


End file.
